“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That’s a powerful statement and it should mean a lot to all of us.

For those of you who don’t immediately recognize the words or maybe slept through your history and civics classes, those words are the opening of the second paragraph (or stanza) of the Declaration of Independence.

As I said, those are powerful words and they led to a redress of the colonists’ grievances against King George III and led to the Revolutionary War. The men who signed the declaration took a big risk; they could have all been arrested and hung for treason against the Crown.

It’s unfortunate that when the signers of the Declaration of Independence said “that all men are created equal,” they left out a good bit of the population who, because of their color, were not considered equal and were in bondage with no rights at all. Eighty-five years later, the country would be split over whether to give that ignored population the rights they deserved. Many battles were fought over that issue, including right here in Vicksburg 160 years ago. We observe the end of that battle this weekend.

Tuesday, we will celebrate the 247th birthday of the Declaration of Independence and we still have groups of people who are still unable to fully enjoy those rights listed in the declaration — for some, those rights are stifled by the governments that according to the declaration are supposed to secure and defend those rights.

It appears that it’s time for a revolution of sorts; not the Jan. 6 kind, but a change in the governmental bodies that make the laws affecting us. That means using the ballot box to remove those who seem to be in office to make a name for themselves, those who seem more interested in keeping a small group of people happy instead of doing what is right for the country and electing or keeping people who are willing to cross the aisle and work out compromises that will benefit the country instead of acting like small children when they don’t get their way.

I’ve often referred to past senators and members of Congress who made their speeches attacking their opponents but were willing in the end to work for the good of the country. These were adults; I’m afraid there aren’t too many adults in Congress now and that’s a shame.

This weekend, whether you’re catching the events at the Vicksburg National Military Park or the Old Court House Museum or just taking it easy at home, take time to think about that document that smacked King George. Remember the passage, “All men are created equal” and the men and women who fought and died defending that statement.

In the 60s, there was a saying, “America, Change it or Lose it.” That was a cry for change. It’s time the majority of us made sure that people are treated equally and that the rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is available for all.